This comes after Lovren was given a number of opportunities to impress during pre-season despite struggling following his arrival from Southampton in the summer of 2014.

Despite this, Brendan Rodgers is not keen to let 25-year-old Sakho depart the club, though his defensive ranks have been bolstered over the summer with the signings of Nathaniel Clyne and Joe Gomez as well as Tiago Ilori’s return from a loan spell at Bordeaux.

Sakho has made just 32 Premier League starts in his two seasons at Anfield due to a number of injury issues but has become something of a fan favourite due to the confidence that he has shown in possession following his move from Paris Saint-Germain.